Carrier



Oct. 14, 1947. HPACKARD 2,428,941

CARRIER Filed March 6, 1946 IN V EN TOR.

flTTORNEYS Ray/220120 fiPackard Patented Oct. 14, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARRIER 7 Raymond P. Packard, Tacoma,Wash. ApplicationMarch 6, 1946, serial No. 652,369

4 Claims. (emu-45) This invention relates to a carrier for sheet material of which a typical example is a p y panel. However,.the carrier'of 'this invention is not limited to such use and the same'may be utilized in all fields where like problems exist in whole or in part.

Heretofore in handling large sheets, such as plywood panels of four-foot width andeight-foot height, it 'required'two men to move'the panels from place to place or't'o secure the panels in place to form'a surface of a wall. The need for two'men was not necessitated by the weight of the panels involvedbut was necessitated because of the dimensions thereof 'ahd the ihhrehtdifiiwhy of handling articles of such dimensions. "It is an object of this inventionto provide a carrier having a 'trough-likerne'mber which may be positioned below the sheet tobe carried and having a handle in spaced relation to the trough like member so that the sheet can be carried at a suitable vposition vertically considered.

7 It is a further object of the invention to provide a handle means suitably laterally spaced in relation to the sheet being carried to protectthe hand of the work'eard'arryingthe sheet. V It is a further object of the invention to provide a carrier device wherein the trough-like member which engages below the sheet to be carried "is pivotally connected to the carrier member so that the sheet may be angularly moved and remain in balance even when the sheet'is' being carried up or, down an elevation, such as a, flight of stairs. i

It is a further object of the invention to provide a carrying device"? so that 'a'work'er can move a panel to a position such as that where it will form the surface of a wall, and which devicepermits the Worker to hold the device and the carried panel in position by his knee which will thus permit the worker" to have both hands free to square and fasten the panel on the studs or furring strips of a wall construction.

The above mentioned "genera-1 objects of my invention, together with others inherent in the same, are attained by the mechanism illustrated in the following drawings, the same being a preferred exemplary form of embodiment of my invention, throughout which drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts:

Figure 1 is a View in elevation of a device embodying this invention;

Fig, 2 is a view in side elevation of the same looking in the direction of bro-ken line 2--2 oi Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 i a top plan view of the same; and

"Fig.4 is a view in elevation, on a smaller scale than the previous figures, showing a panel in place on the carrier and a position which the parts of *the carrier and a panel may assume as apanel'is beingcarr'ied up "an elevation, such as a flight of'stairs indicated by dot and dash lines.

Referring to the drawings a trough=like panel receiving means 5 has a base "portion fi and two legs portions '1 and 8. The leg portion 1 is preferabl'y shorter than the leg portion 8 so that the leg portion 1 can readily be inserted belowa panel and settle 'leg po'rtions can function as a supporting means. The base portion twill be of a 'contou'r'and'shape to interfit with the articles to be carriedand if such articles are'r'ectangular sheets, then the base portion 6 will be flat as shown. Also, the spacing between members I and'8'wil1 be such as to permit insertionthe're between'of the thickest panel to be carried.

The tr'ough like 'panel receiving means 5 is pivota1iysupported and this may be accomplished by providing a link means 9 pivotally secured to theleg' portion 8 by pivot'means W. A handle means" ll'is secured in vertical spaced relation to the trough-like panel receivin means 5' by suitable frame means which preferably comprises the link means"?! and a bail having vertical leg portions! 2 an'd'a horizontal portion 13. The link means 9 is preferably bent as shown Fig. to provide'a horizontal portion M. The horizon tal portion ispro'vided with spaced perforations thr'ough'whichthe' leg portions moi the bail may be insertedand thereafter't'he said leg portions can be bent' as best 's'hown'in Fig, 1 to provide securanc'e of the'leg portions Q2 of the bailto the'link means 9. Before bending of the hail'to provide both leg portions l2 and securing the leg'portions 12 to the link means 9, a handle means I! be suitably threaded o'n'the portion [3 of the bail and thus a light and inexpensive frame'nieans is provided to sup-port the handle means H and which is pivotally secured to the troughqike panel receiving means 5. l

A handle guard I5 is provided to maintain carried panels in spaced relation to the handle means I i. This handle guard is preferably in the form of a U-shaped yoke having legs l6 and a plate member H. The legs I B can be bent at their free ends and thereby secured to the leg portions I 2 of the bail.

Referring now to Fig. 4 of the drawings, a panel l8 will have its lower edge supported by the trough-like panel receiving means 5 and the panel when carried will have a surface abutting against the plate member I! of the handle guard l5.

Thus the panel l8 will be in spaced relation to the handle H and thus a workmans hand will be protected when carrying a panel and having his hand engage the handle means I I. The troughlike panel receiving means 5 will be positioned relative to the width of the panel being carried so that the weight will be at balance about pivot means It. The workman can use one hand on handle II and his other hand on the top of the panel. The distance between handle II and the trough-like panel receiving means 5 is such as to permit the average workman to walk erect and still have the lower edge of the panel in working spaced relation to a floor.

As the workman carries a panel up or down an elevation, such as a flight of stairs IQ of Fig, 4, he can angularly move the panel and dispose the same in the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings and thus a balance of the weight of the panel may be maintained about pivot means It? regardless of whether a panel is being carried on a level or up or doWn an elevation.

Another important field of use of my invention which inheres in its construction is that of applyin panels in place to form a wall surface. When panels as plywood panels or the like are employed in forming a Wall surface, generally these panels are of the height of the wall to be formed less a space at the bottom which will be covered by the usual trim. Thus a workman in securing such panels in place is required to handle a panel of a length of approximately 8 feet and to hold the top of the panel tightly against an upper abutment and the sides against an adjacent panel and at the same time to nail the panel in place to hold it in the aligned position. Heretofore it was not possible for a single Workman to align and secure panels in place as he did not have enough hands. With my device the workman can lift the panel in place while engaging the handle I I. The studs or furring strips to which the panels are to be secured will be to the right relative to the device as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. There is an opening between the legs I6 of the handle guard l5 and between the leg portions 12 of the bail. Thus a workman can insert his knee in this opening and lift his knee to engage handle means I I and thus a panel can be held in place with the top of the panel in the proper elevation and with a side of a panel abutting the side of an adjacent panel or abutting studs or the like and the workman will have both hands free to provide for aligning the panel and applying the securing means or nails.

It is thus obvious that I have provided a construction of extreme lightness in weight so as not to increase the load to be carried by the workman and a device of rigid construction and of extreme utility'in carrying sheet materials of large dimensions. 7

Obviously, changes may be made in the forms, dimensions, and arrangement of the parts of my invention, without departing from the principle thereof, the above setting forth only a preferred form of embodiment.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, frame means; a trough-like panel receiving means pivotally connected with the lower end portion of said frame means and extending to one side thereof; handle means connected with the upper end portion of said frame means; and a yoke-like handle guard means connected with the upper portion of said frame means and extending to the said one side thereof.

2. In a device of the class described, a bail; link means interconnecting the leg portions of said bail at their lower end portions; a troughlike panel receiving means pivotally connected with said link means and extending to one side of said link means and said bail; handle means carried by the top portion of said bail which interconnects the leg portions; and a handle guard means connected With the top portions of the leg portions of said bail and extending to the said one side thereof.

3. In a device of the class described, a bail; link means interconnecting the leg portions of said bail at their lower end portions; a troughlike panel receiving means pivotally connected with said link means and extending to one side of said link means and said bail; handle means carried by the top portion of said bail which interconnects the leg portions; and a yoke-like handle guard means connected with the top portions of the leg portions of said bail and extending to the said one side thereof.

4. Ina device of the class described, frame means; a trough-like panel receiving means pivotaliy connected with the lower end portion of said frame means for movement in a plane substantially parallel to said frame means and extending to one side thereof, whereby a panel may be angularly moved to adjust its center of mass for, carriage on level or on inclined supports; handle means connected with the upper end portion of said frame means; and a handle guard means connected with the upper portion of said frame means and extendin to the said one side thereof for supporting the top portion of a panel against angular movement toward the handle means.

RAYMOND P. PACKARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 1

UNITED STATES PATENTS Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,428,941. October 14, 1947.

RAYMOND P. PACKARD It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction asfollows: Column 4, line 9, claim 1, after means insert and disposed in vertically spaced relation to the trough-like panel receiving means a distance substantially equal to a persons lower leg so that the handle means may be supported by ones knee; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this Sgirection therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Signed and sealed this 16th day of December, A. D. 1947.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Commissioner of Patents. 

